The Yankees are coming!

By TOM KANE

HONESDALE, PA — The New York Yankees are coming to Northeast Pennsylvania and will start playing ball this season at the Lackawanna County Stadium in Scranton.

The Yankees’ Triple A team, that is. They will play in the International League with Triple A teams from other major league clubs.

The full schedule of 144 games will be carried on Radio 1590 The Game, a station of Bold Gold Radio in Honesdale. Kent Westling, who was the radio announcer for the previous team, the Red Barons, for the last 18 years, will still be the announcer for the new team.

The Yankees organization is taking over the minor league franchise the Philadelphia Phillies ran in Scranton. “The Red Barons are no more,” Westling said. “They are moving to Allentown, PA.”

The new team, which will be known as the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees, or simply the Yankees, is coming here from Columbus, OH.

The announcement was made during the Honesdale Rotary Club meeting on January 2 by Mike Trudnak, corporate marketing manager for a company called Mandalay Sports Group, who will manage the stadium, publicity, marketing and the games schedule for the Yankees organization.

Lackawanna and Luzerne counties jointly own the stadium.

“Already, we are 70 percent sold-out for our season ticket packages for next season,” he said. “We are very encouraged by such a fabulous reception. The team will set aside a number of open tickets for each game for groups and individual sales when the box office opens in March.”

Trudnak, who explained the season ticket packages it offers to businesses, was seeking a donation of support for the success of the new operation.

Rotary members agreed to donate $1,000 to the venture.

“The success of this franchise is going to be good for business,” said realtor Bob Tenewitz, president of the Rotary.

Those wishing to know more about the team should contact its website at www.swbyankees.com or call 570/969-2255.